Catfish

[Philip]

Philip, i can admire the majesty of the Tiger and lion indeed all the big cats. One has to accept that Sharks and Orcas are streamlined killing machines and very handsome in a piscatorial way, most fish we catch are very pretty. Elephants and giraffes are unusual but magnificent. Many flying insects are stunning in colour and aerial ability.

Then we have the Wels catfish which is none of the above. In short it's fugly . It has no majesty, beautiful coloration or any endearing qualities. It's an overgrown slug which consumes whatever it can swallow and I for one cannot find it in my heart to say anything nice about it. I struggle to find the same level of malevolence and dislike for any other living creature.

They should not be in our waters and it's never too late to eradicate or at least to substantially reduce their numbers.

Sorry Mike you lost me at Orcas. Plus I have no idea why you appear to be directing that at me.

What you or I think is ultimatly inconsequential as the horse has bolted and things will happen whether we like it or not.

Out of interest, .how many Wels have you seen ?…I might be mistaken but I think when I asked you the same question a few years ago it was 1...how many is it now ?

 

[mikench]

I was responding to your previous post(177) and included your name to make that clear. It wasn't a dig or adverse comment. I have still only seen 1 cat. I've never caught one but seen many a picture. By that same point of reference I've never seen in the flesh, salt water crocs, hyenas, Komodo dragons or velociraptors but I do know what they look like and can form an opinion as to their aesthetics. I may be being unfair on cats but I don't think so and don't care.

I'm relieved that there are non in the waters I fish regularly. There are some in other waters I can fish but don't and whilst you may be right and we are impotent in our desire to eradicate them, we surely must try. Even a journey of 1000 miles starts with just one step.
Ce n'est pas la mer à boire .

 

[108831]

Again, how can any self respecting angler moan about otters, or any of our own natural fish eating predators and yet be in favour of introducing huge invasive fish eating machines, doesn't make sense!
The reason is because the anglers in question are selfish idiots with no concern for their actions so long as they get what they want. They are like a alcoholic, smoker or drug addict, what ever you say to them they will come up with some answer to justify their wants!

I forgot to mention a fishery only several miles away from me which specializes in wels and exotic fish species. This fishery legaly has wels cats and has designated purpose dug pools for them. One of the chaps who looks after them told me they are not a fish you should put anywjere but a designated prison pool because of the damage they will cause. He told me that they have bred readily and he has to monitor the size of the carp in the pools with them because if the carp are below a certain size the cats will consume them. I've spoken to him a number of times as the fishery owns the local tackle shop.
His words were that introducing them into the wild over here would be a disastour.

Well the person you speak of saying they need to be imprisoned to protect other fish in fisheries obviously has a totally different experience to myself,as the waters in my areas have had catfish in for decades,all have healthy populations of fish of all sizes.
As for otters,you haven't had do gooders digging holts along the banks,micro chipping adult females to locate where they are holding kitts,so as when a mother dies,for whatever reason,but usually they are run over,kitts are taken from holts,reared and released when ready,not natures way is it,these twats don't save all the creatures predated,I actually talked to these people on the bank(wondering what the hell they were up to).Also on rivers that have always had otters fish species have adapted and bred to suit,your fish Ian have never known any different,down here where on many rivers spawning conditions were not as good as they were due to abstraction,silting redds,signal crays etc,these fish were under tremendous pressure before otters,if any survive i've no doubt they will adapt to otter predation,not in my lifetime sadly,nature finds a way if at all possible however.

 

[Philip]

I was responding to your previous post(177) and included your name to make that clear. It wasn't a dig or adverse comment. I have still only seen 1 cat. I've never caught one but seen many a picture. By that same point of reference I've never seen in the flesh, salt water crocs, hyenas, Komodo dragons or velociraptors but I do know what they look like and can form an opinion as to their aesthetics. I may be being unfair on cats but I don't think so and don't care.

I'm relieved that there are non in the waters I fish regularly. There are some in other waters I can fish but don't and whilst you may be right and we are impotent in our desire to eradicate them, we surely must try. Even a journey of 1000 miles starts with just one step.
Ce n'est pas la mer à boire .

Right, so you have still only ever seen 1.

I totally agree they are as ugly as sin. ...they stink too.

And no, WE wont be doing anything Mike. YOU can eradicate away till your hearts content. It wont make one jot of difference to me or the Catfish population by the sounds.

 

[mikench]

Do they become more endearing and attractive the more one sees? 1 or 101 my assessment is unlikely to alter.

You have made that clear and neither shall I unless the opportunity arises. As the Chinese say" it's better to light a candle than to rage against the darkness"

 

[Ray Roberts]

So it’s fine to kill living creatures providing that they’re ugly. Crikey Mike, there are a few blokes on here that will have to watch their step.


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[tigger]

So it’s fine to kill living creatures providing that they’re ugly. Crikey Mike, there are a few blokes on here that will have to watch their step.


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So we now have "woke" in angling.....

 

[tigger]

Well the person you speak of saying they need to be imprisoned to protect other fish in fisheries obviously has a totally different experience to myself,as the waters in my areas have had catfish in for decades,all have healthy populations of fish of all sizes.
As for otters,you haven't had do gooders digging holts along the banks,micro chipping adult females to locate where they are holding kitts,so as when a mother dies,for whatever reason,but usually they are run over,kitts are taken from holts,reared and released when ready,not natures way is it,these twats don't save all the creatures predated,I actually talked to these people on the bank(wondering what the hell they were up to).Also on rivers that have always had otters fish species have adapted and bred to suit,your fish Ian have never known any different,down here where on many rivers spawning conditions were not as good as they were due to abstraction,silting redds,signal crays etc,these fish were under tremendous pressure before otters,if any survive i've no doubt they will adapt to otter predation,not in my lifetime sadly,nature finds a way if at all possible however.

Its not exactly natural for the mother to be run over is it?

Maybe you will have a change of mind if some clown releases wels into your river??

 

[108831]

Wels have been on the Ouse for at least thirty years,in that time they would have spread throughout the system,thirty years ago I saw a kitten caught on the Grand Union Canal at Three Locks,which is inter connected to several river systems,thats without the big cats in Tring reservoirs,which feed said canal,the Thames has had cats in for a considerable time,which the venue I fish now is a tributary,it is just sods law,anglers who like crucian carp dont want pike in their water,pike anglers see an opportunity for big pike,so stock em,it's wrong,but it has happened for years,as we all know,humans are selfish...

 

[108831]

So it’s fine to kill living creatures providing that they’re ugly. Crikey Mike, there are a few blokes on here that will have to watch their step.


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I'm a dead duck Ray...

 

[mikench]

So it’s fine to kill living creatures providing that they’re ugly. Crikey Mike, there are a few blokes on here that will have to watch their step.


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I have never said that Ray as well you know. Wels catfish should not be in our lakes and rivers. I'm not going to repeat the reasons why. They should be eradicated like signal crays and knotweed. Because they are fugly would make it easier if I had to do it. Why do people support their existence? Do they have good bio diversity qualities for our aquatics environment I'm not aware of and if so do tell.

The Canadians don't think so. http://www.invadingspecies.com/wels-catfish/

 

[rayner]

I may be against catfish but this thread is entertaining.

 

[mikench]

Indeed it is but I feel it has now run its course and is getting silure and silure

 

[Philip]

Do they have good bio diversity qualities for our aquatics environment I'm not aware of and if so do tell.

Yes.

Read my earlier post that you "liked".

According to a bloke who wrote a thesis on them they do have a positive impact on Biodiversity as they focus on the most common food source so freeing up space for lesser species to come through.

 

[Philip]

Indeed it is but I feel it has now run its course and is getting silure and silure

Wel Wel Wel ...that has to be a contender for bad joke of the month award.

...did make me laugh however

 

[mikench]

It's a sure fire winner I reckon. I did read your early post and liked it for it's well thought out content. I still do not like nor want to catch a Wels.

 

[no-one in particular]

I'm a dead duck Ray...

Yeh, ducks should be culled as well, bloody pests.

 

[Ray Roberts]

I’m not for stocking them, the one’s I intend targeting have been there for decades. In fact some numpty moved at least one to one of our other lakes which I don’t get or agree with.

I would say that large catfish are easily the most powerful and hard fighting fish in our waters and as they are here and I have access to them it would be rude not to have a crack at them. The example of signal crayfish just goes to prove my point.

These signals were taken from a short stretch of the Eden. There are still some there and no matter how many you take there will be sufficient numbers to maintain a population. You aren’t supposed to put them back and I don’t but in all honesty the few I catch and kill will make no difference to the population as a whole because it is just a drop in the ocean.

The only way I can see of getting rid of these or unwanted species is by a genetically engineered disease that is specific to that one species, but personally I would rather suffer the catfish and crays.


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[mikench]

The tails are delicious boiled and on an open sandwich with mayo and a dash of cayenne or Chili powder. You need a lot though, like you have there. They are not cheap in Sainsbury’s so there must be a market.

 

[no-one in particular]

I’m not for stocking them, the one’s I intend targeting have been there for decades. In fact some numpty moved at least one to one of our other lakes which I don’t get or agree with.

I would say that large catfish are easily the most powerful and hard fighting fish in our waters and as they are here and I have access to them it would be rude not to have a crack at them. The example of signal crayfish just goes to prove my point.

These signals were taken from a short stretch of the Eden. There are still some there and no matter how many you take there will be sufficient numbers to maintain a population. You aren’t supposed to put them back and I don’t but in all honesty the few I catch and kill will make no difference to the population as a whole because it is just a drop in the ocean.

The only way I can see of getting rid of these or unwanted species is by a genetically engineered disease that is specific to that one species, but personally I would rather suffer the catfish and crays.


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Incredible, that just shows what a pest they have become, brings it home seeing them like that and the Eden is a small river if my memory serves me. How long would it take to get the same number of native crayfish! And this could have been some well intentioned wildlife body like Nature England that would have said oohh wouldn't it be nice to have them. Ok it is not and I am stretching it a bit but you know what I mean. Introductions, innocent, accidental, or designed, this is the general outcome in my opinion and we should just leave well alone; be happy with what we have and done with it. If nature gives us more or less then be happy with that as well; and it does give us more sometimes but it never gets recognized..
I cannot help feeling it is a losing battle, has that just created a bigger hole for the next generation to fill and survive! I don't know but it just looks impossible to me. Blow away all the pseudo hype and somewhere down the line this is what it looks like. and we have loads of examples and yet we still dont learn.